Human Being First, Designer Second

Italian-born, Spain-based architect and interior designer Teresa Sapey talks about her unique design philosophy.

Sexy, ironic and fun. That’s how Teresa Sapey (right) would describe her design philosophy, one that she has cultivated over the last three decades of her prolific design career. She recently visited Singapore for the first time and Home & Decor sat down with her to talk about everything, from design trends in 2019, to the style of her own home, and balancing one’s professional life with the private one.

WHAT IS ONE TREND THAT NEEDS TO BE LAID TO REST IN 2019?

For the moment, minimalism is completely finished, but although a lot of designers believe that designing a minimalist white house should be a thing of the past, it doesn’t mean that everyone should be creating black or maximalist houses instead.

Perhaps it means designing a colourful space expressed through paint, in blue, green, pink, red or yellow – just not white anymore. Or it could mean creating a space that is a bit more human-centric, or what you might call “shabby chic”.

Currently, designers are also very conscious and worried about sustainability, so we are on the lookout for new materials and novel ways to recycle.

YOU SAY A WHITE HOUSE IS OUTDATED, YET WHITE STILL FEATURES IN MANY OF YOUR PROJECTS, INCLUDING YOUR HOME.